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Parcel just north of fairgrounds

By John Fryar Longmont Times-Call

Posted:
11/15/2012 08:20:53 PM MST

Updated:
11/16/2012 12:00:14 PM MST

A jogger runs along the St. Vrain Greenway near Rogers Grove in Longmont on Thursday. The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee has endorsed a proposal for Boulder County to convey ownership of 83.7 acres of county-owned open space north of the Boulder County Fairgrounds including a stretch of the greenway to the city of Longmont.
(
Greg Lindstrom
)

BOULDER -- A Boulder County panel has endorsed a proposal for Boulder County to convey ownership of 83.7 acres of county-owned open space north of the Boulder County Fairgrounds to the city of Longmont.

Under the plan that got the support of the county's Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee on Thursday night, the city wouldn't have to pay anything to acquire the lands, which include the county's Fairgrounds Lake and a stretch of the St. Vrain Greenway, as well as Roger's Grove, which is a city district park although the county technically owns it.

The area, which Boulder County calls its Fairgrounds North Properties, generally lies east of Hover Road, south of the railroad tracks, west of South Sunset Street, and north of Boston Avenue.

The county would retain a conservation easement over the entire 83.7-acre area, which Parks and Open Space Department land officer Mel Stonebraker said would ensure that the property "remains undeveloped and permanently available for open space and parks purposes" even after it's transferred to city ownership.

The easement would restrict use of the property to passive recreation, wildlife habitat, environmental uses and open space functions.

The Longmont City Council approved a resolution for acquisition of the land on Tuesday night. The county Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee recommended Thursday that Boulder County commissioners -- who are expected to consider the transaction next month -- approve it also.

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Stonebraker told advisory committee members on Thursday that the transaction would lead to more efficient management of the overall property, where the city and the county now split management responsibilities.

Since 1996, Longmont has actively maintained and managed the Roger's Grove facility and its parking area, as well as the trail network that winds through the Fairgrounds North properties. Roger's Grove includes a shelter, gardens, an amphitheater and restrooms. Boulder County has paid Longmont about $6,000 a year to help defer some of its Roger's Grove management expenses.

Boulder County manages Fairgrounds Lake -- including maintaining the system that pumps water from the lake back to the St. Vrain Creek, as well as mowing and mowing and weed control around the lake. The county also maintains land to the north of the St. Vrain River. The sheriff's office is responsible for law enforcement throughout the entire area, since it's outside Longmont's city limits.

"This mix of responsibilities has made it difficult to manage the Fairgrounds North Properties effectively," Stonebraker said. "The fairgrounds in general and the Fairgrounds North Properties in particular are not your typical county open space properties. The Fairgrounds North Properties are an urban park mostly surrounded by the city of Longmont.

"It is difficult for the city to manage the property as a typical urban park, and it is difficult for the county to manage the property as traditional open space," Stonebraker said.

He said that if the transaction is approved, Longmont intends to ultimately annex the Fairgrounds North Properties into the city.

"That will allow them to manage the property in a manner that is consistent with their practices and will allow them to provide their own city law enforcement when needed," he said.

Stonebraker reviewed the more than 30 years of county open-space acquisitions and the past city and county partnerships for managing, operating and overseeing the county-owned properties in the area.

In 1976, Boulder County bought the Fredstrom property, part of which eventually became the county fairgrounds at 9595 Nelson Road and is also the site of the Fairgrounds Lake.

In 1984, the county bought the Toxvard property, a onetime hog farm directly north of Fairgrounds Lake. County officials said part of the motivation for the purchase at the time was an offer from Roger and Roberta Jones to donate money toward development of an arboretum where school children could see plants native to Colorado. The county and Longmont and the Jones family worked together to develop what eventually became Roger's Grove District Park at 220 Hover Road.

In 1990, the county and Longmont jointly purchased the the Martenson property, which lies north of Roger's Grove.

Meanwhile, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Longmont became more involved in development of the St. Vrain Greenway, county officials noted. Longmont has built nearly 10 miles of greenway trail, stretching from Sandstone Ranch on the east to Airport Road on the west. Just under 2 miles of that trail passes through and around the county's Fairgrounds North properties.

Longmont Public Works and Natural Resources director Dale Rademacher has reported to the City Council that the estimated expense of operating and maintaining the entire 83.7-acre area, once the city takes over responsibility for all of it, will be an additional $20,000 a year.

The proposed agreement would also have Boulder County contribute $50,000 toward the city's costs of repairing and reinforcing seriously eroded St. Vrain River banks, a riparian restoration project that Stonebraker said Longmont has estimated could cost more than $250,000.

The county would retain the area south of Boston Avenue, including the fairgrounds itself and its arenas, Exhibit Hall and show barns.

Rademacher said in a recent memo that Longmont's acquisition of the other county-owned properties north of the fairgrounds "would complement the city's long-term efforts to preserve the river corridor in this general area."

Stonebraker said the county staff "believes that this transfer would be in the best interest of both the city and the county and would rectify what has become an awkward and inefficient joint management relationship."

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